Timothy allen lewis



(No Model.)

T. A. LEWIS. UTERINE DILATOR.

No. 586,776. Patented July 20, 1897.

"B I r (5%660M ATTOHNEY UNTThn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

TIMOTHY ALLEN LE\VIS, OF LA OROSSE, IVISOONSIN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO FRANK A. BIGELOW', OF SAME PLACE.

UTERINE DILATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 586,776, dated July 20, 1897. Application filed August 11, 1896. Serial No. 602,396. (No model.)

To (l /Z 10710722, it may concern:

Be it known that I, TIMOTHY ALLEN LEWIS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of La Crosse, in the county of La Crosse and 5 State of isconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Uterine Dilators; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled o in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to uterine dilators;

5 and the object is to provide a simple device of this kind for applying a medicament locally to the uterus; and to this end the novelty consists in the construction, combination, and arrangement of the same, as will be hereinafter more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying; drawings the same reference-characters indicate the same parts of the invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved uterine dilator, and Fig. 2 is a similar view with the outer end of the dilator shown in section.

A represents a cylindrical handle provided a at its inner end with a milled-head knob 2 for conveniently manipulating the same.

The outer end of the cylindrical handle A is formed with an integral longitudinal tongue 0, which receives the parallel jaws (Z (Z of the i cylindrical rod D, a flush rivet c extending transversely through said tongue and jaws to form a hinge-joint between the handle A and the rod D.

0 represents a conical pear-shaped sleeve snugly encompassing the handle and rod, and when in the position shown in Fig. 1 permits the free use of the hinge'joint between the handle and the rod, but when adjusted as shown in Fig. 2 looks the hinge and renders the rod D and handle A as rigid, for all practical purposes, as if they were made of a single piece.

The shape of the sleeve 0, tapering toward its forward end, facilitates its insertion when the instrument is in use, it acting somewhat like a wedge to separate the parts from contact with the rod as it slides over the joint.

The outer end of the rod D is formed with an integral screw-threaded stud 3, which e11- gages the correspondingly-threaded orifice 4 in the base of the solid stem B to detachably secure said stem to the rod.

The base of the stem B is formed with an integral concave flange 3, and its opposite or free end terminates in a rounded point 2.

a a represent longitudinal parallel grooves in the opposite curved walls of the stem, in which may be placed a medicament for local application to the walls of the neck of the uterus. 6

The advantage of the hinged handle in facilitating the insertion of the stem in cases of antefleXion or retroversion will be apparent to those familiar with the subject, and the simplicity with which the hinge is locked and thus made rigid is a very important factor in the successful manipulation and treatment of the affected parts.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and useful, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, 1s

As an improved article of manufacture, a dilator comprising the cylindrical handle,pr0- vided with the fixed milled knob 2 and hav- 8o ing its opposite end formed with the integral rectangular tongue 0, the cylindrical rod D, formed with the integral parallel jaws d d, between the parallel walls of which the said rectangular tongue 0, is pivoted by the transverse rivet e, the conical pear-shaped sleeve 0, snugly encompassing the joint between the handle and the rod, to fix it rigid, the screwstud 3 formed integral with said rod, and the detachable solid stem B, provided with the threaded orifice 4, and having the integral concave flange 3, encompassing its base and the longitudinal parallel grooves a a formed in the opposite sides of said stem, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

TIMOTHY ALLEN LEWIS.

IVitnesses: I

JOHN J. Eson, WALTER 0. WINTER. 

